Home? It's where the heart is
by SuGaRnSpIcE4222
Summary: I may live with two of them, but collectively? They all raised me. They're my family, as dysfunctional as it may seem. A/N: I'm going to rate this M for now, for mild language and an 'adult-esque' theme, but I don't anticipate it to be too bad at all.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own any character of NCIS. Roselyn is my creation; she is not part of the show, and I am not affiliated with NCIS or it's creators in any way. This fanfiction is for pure creative entertainment. Enjoy!

"_We can't keep her, Jen. We can't be her babysitters," Gibbs' tone was gentle, but suggestive. His face remained straight, as it usually was. A moment later the corner of his lip turned up in a slight, but charming smirk. So Gibbs like. _

"_You're forgetting, Jethro, that I've been down this road with you before. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me." Jenny smirked at her Senior field agent, her eyes wide with the knowledge of his games. _

"_It'll only be for a few days. Just until we find her parents," Gibbs relented, running a hand through his salt-pepper hair. _

_Jenny sighed and leaned back, folding her arms across her chest. "Alright, fine. Only for a few days, Jethro!" Jenny called, her neck extended slightly to make her voice heard. Gibbs was already retreating to the car to retrieve the girl. _

I was ten then, and that was the moment that changed my life forever. One of them. I went from being the little girl with no friends and no family to joining the leading family of all of DC: NCIS. My parents were found four days after going missing; they were bound, gagged, beaten, my father shot, my mother strangled. I was scared and I was sad but Jenny… we connected on some level that I'd been trying to steer clear of. That I'd been trying to protect myself from. Gibbs and I… well he was a friend. He was kind, and gentle, and he was patient; he was also very easy to talk to, and I needed that. I needed them, and truth be told? They needed me.


	2. Chapter One

The sun danced irritatingly to the surface of the sky, reaching the edges of Roselyn's bedroom window, its rays sparkling in the warmth of the morning. A glimmer here… a glimmer there; the sun threatened to wake the sleeping sixteen year old. But if it didn't, Jenny Shepard sure would.

"Roselyn! You wake up now!" Jenny pounded on the mahogany door. "Teenagers," she muttered with early-morning bitterness. She sipped the steaming cup of coffee that occupied her left hand, grateful for the caffeine jolt, and with her right, pounded on the door again. "Roselyn Shepard-Gibbs you open this door right this instant! I don't have time for this, this morning! I've got a very important meeting!"

Roselyn groaned; the sound of Jenny's fist against the door was deafening. She struggled to lift her slender arms from under her, clasping her long fingers around the edges of the pale purple pillowcase. When her grip was secure enough to withstand pressure, she yanked the feather pillow from under her head and placed it atop her ear. It droned out Jenny's voice, but only slightly.

"Roselyn! I'm not fooling around this morning!" Jenny called once again, tapping her foot impatiently. "I'm going to come in there!"

'If you were going to do that,' Roselyn thought sleepily, 'you'd have done it by now.' Satisfied with her success, Roselyn rolled over, pillow still covering her ear, and curled even further into the warmth of her comforter. This was much better than being awake.

"I'll send Gibbs in there!" Jenny threatened. Another sip of her coffee and she looked up at the door. Silence.

'No you won't,' Roselyn thought once again. One eye opened out of curiosity, but the sun was too bright, and just as soon as the eye had fluttered open, it fluttered closed.

"I mean it, Roselyn, I will call him over here, and I will send him in there!" Jenny tapped both feet impatiently now, and she glanced over her shoulder at the clock. She had wasted 10 minutes of her time already; 10 minutes that she needed desperately to get ready for this meeting. 'Motherhood!' she thought annoyingly, but never doubted deep down that her life had taken a turn for the better when she joined the league of mothers. PTA meetings, dance recitals, parent-teacher conferences; they were worth it. Adopting a child had been the best move she'd ever made. Especially this one.

'Good luck getting him out of bed,' Roselyn mused silently. She let out a yawn and stretched a bit, then released herself back into the comfort and confines of her queen sized pillow top mattress. She was surprised when the door to her room finally slid open and Jenny waltzed in.

"Do we have to go through this every morning?" The red-head resigned in exasperation. "Get up, get dressed. Breakfast is ready downstairs. I have a big meeting this morning, I can't be late, Roselyn," Jenny instructed. She was already laying outfit choices out on the bed. She reached out and tapped Roselyn's foot and then bent to kiss the young girl on the head. "And good morning to you too, Grumpy."

"I'm not grumpy. I'm a big ray of sunshine," Roselyn sat up with a defeated, cranky look on her face. She stretched and yawned, and went to swat away the outfits Jenny was laying out. "Can't I just stay home today? It's not like I'm going to miss anything in school, except Senora Hernandez getting locked out of her classroom again."

"I still can't believe you participated in that little charade," Jenny muttered, tossing Roselyn's robe at her.

"I didn't participate," Roselyn retorted.

"You didn't help her, either," Jenny pointed out, holding back a smirk.

"I stayed neutral, like Switzerland."

"That only works if you're at war," Jenny raised her eyebrows and glanced at the clock. Tick tock. More time missing out of her busy morning.

"We were learning the Spanish verbs that day. For all intents and purposes, we *were* at war."

"She's not that bad of a teacher; she just wants you guys to learn as much as you can from her class. In fact, I'd call that a damn good teacher."

"She teaches the entire class in Spanish! The only one who understands her is her!" Roselyn argued, tossing her legs over the side of the bed. She slipped on a pair of jeans and then stood up to button up and zip the faded denim pants. She ignored the neatly folded shirts on her bed where Jenny had had been, and went for a wrinkled tee off her floor, tossing it on.

"Did you ever think if you stopped to listen, you might understand her?" Jenny folded her arms across her chest, her red hair flowing messily to the side.

"Uh, no," Roselyn blinked.

"Well maybe you should try it," Jenny suggested, in a not so very suggestion like way. "On another note, don't forget your overnight bag. You're staying at Jethro's tonight."

"Is G.I. Barbie going to be there?" Roselyn asked, slinging her overnight bag over her shoulder. She always kept it packed and ready to go for the nights she stayed over at Gibbs' place.

"You mean Hollis, and yes, I'm sure she will be. And I don't want a repeat of last week. No more itching powder, Roselyn, I mean it."

"And yet the itching powder was never found. Your evidence against me is circumstantial at best, and I'm innocent until proven guilty."

"You're also grounded for three weeks. I still can't believe you put it in her underwear."

Roselyn let out a small snicker and then looked up at Jenny, "Does the term Due Process mean anything to you?"

"We have got to stop letting you hang out in the legal department," Jenny sighed. "Does the term 'dictatorship' mean anything to you?" Jenny narrowed her gaze.

"I thought we were a democracy!" Roselyn cried

"Not since you hit your teen years," Jenny smirked and then gently swatted the girl's butt with a face towel. "Here, go get dressed, we're pushing it for time right now."

Roselyn sighed but took the towel and headed out of her room to the bathroom. As she passed by the door a German Shepard dog lifted its head, cocked it to the side, yawned, and then lay back down. "Morning, Tony!" Roselyn called on the way to the bathroom; the dog, whom she'd named Tony, had been found when Roselyn was 13. She brought it up and never let it go. He'd been named Tony Shepard Gibbs, because, as she said, he reminded her of 'a young Tony'.

Jenny laughed and shook her head, throwing her trusses of red hair up in a loose pony-tail., and then she, too, went to get ready for the day.


	3. Chapter Two

The afternoon sun beat down with excruciating heat, and Jenny was thankful to be cool in the comfort of her office. Thank goodness for air conditioning. Jenny leaned back to relax against the leather cushion of her chair, smiling to herself. The meeting had gone better than anticipated; she had full support from an agency she needed, and commendations to boot. The most recent edition of Stars and Stripes lay open on Jenny's lap and she glanced down for a preview of the articles. Some retirements, a few announcements; nothing of importance, but still worth the reading. Until, of course, a knock came from the door. 'Why?' Jenny thought with a low grunt and a hint of bitterness. People always came at the wrong times.

She closed her Stars and Stripes edition, and folded it neatly, placing it on her desk under a couple files. "Come in," she called, folding her hands across her desk and looking up. She tapped her nails in slight irritation- a habit which, she couldn't help but think proudly of, Roselyn had picked up over the years. A small smile tugged the corners of her lips, but she fought it back. Whoever was behind that door would probably think she was crazy. Not that many people *didn't* think she was crazy.

Hollis walked in first, coming to stand just before Jenny's desk, followed quickly by Gibbs. So that's why there was a knock—Gibbs was behind her, away from the door.

"I didn't know we were collaborating on a case," Jenny greeted. Professional, as always.

"We're not," Hollis smiled gently. A few strands of her blond locks fell softly to the back of her neck. "We wanted to run something by you."

"Of course, Colonel Mann. What is it that I can do for you?" Jenny sat upright now, interested. She glanced from Hollis to Gibbs, whose upper left lip curled in his usual smirk.

"Well we wanted to discuss our plans with Roselyn this weekend."

"Jethro doesn't need my blessing on his plans for the weekend," Jenny smiled, a sort of 'half laugh' escaping her throat.

"Not about that; we just wanted your opinion on what you think Roselyn would like best. We'd like to take her to do some family bonding; I'd like to go to the Smithsonian, but Jethro wants PutPut golf."

Jenny tossed her head back with a hearty laugh at the idea; she could hardly see Roselyn golfing (unless she was putting the ball to aim at someone's groin) and the last time she'd been in a museum she'd hid in the bathroom until it was time to leave. Oddly enough, she'd learned two more facts than Jenny herself that day, AND made a new friend. When Jenny realized that Hollis was serious, she leaned forward, straightened her face, and glanced down at her Stars and Stripes again.

"What?" Gibbs asked, intrigued by Jenny's response. "You don't think she'd like to go PutPutting or to the Smithsonian?"

"It's your funeral…" Jenny trailed off. She put her glasses back on, and narrowed her gaze, her glasses coming to a rest on the bridge of her slender nose. She held the stare for a moment and then returned her attention back to the paper, silently leaning back in her chair and getting comfortable again.

Gibbs stared at Jenny, his smirk widening a bit. He glanced over his shoulder to look at Hollis; she seemed a bit confused by the response they'd gotten, but if she was, she said nothing. Hollis met his stare for a minute; both said nothing, both did nothing. Hollis rolled forward on the heels of her feet, hands clasped together behind her back. Still, nothing.

Finally, Jenny looked up to meet the stares. Silently, she diverted her gaze to the door; a quiet order to retreat. Hollis turned on the next heel roll, and Gibbs followed her out, closing Jenny's office door behind them.

Jenny laughed once again and shook her head. "Poor fools; she is going to tear them to shreds."

Roselyn stood in the driveway, dog on leash in hand, backpack over her shoulder, and ready to go. She was still in the jeans she wore to school, except they were now mucked with spots of dirt and slightly red from today's jell-o dessert, and she, as a whole, still smelled of today's mystery meat.

"Quit looking at me like I'm lunch," Roselyn muttered, glancing slightly at Tony Shepard-Gibbs. The dog held his stare, and his tongue flopped out to the side, drool dripping in heavy drops on the driveway. "You resemble Tony more and more every day. I really did pick a good name for you."

The dog wagged his tail and jumped up on Roselyn, his paws coming to a rest on her shoulders excitedly. He licked her face and then dropped back down, leaving two paw prints on her shoulders for memory's sake. Roselyn laughed and then glanced up as Gibbs' black SUV slowly pulled to a stop in front of the doorway. Gibbs honked the horn and Roselyn stared back in irritation. 'Not blind,' she thought to herself. "Come on Tony," she called, tugging on the German Shepherd's leash. The dog followed obligingly.

"Hi Roselyn…Oh honey, I'm allergic to dogs," Hollis said with a disappointed frown through her open window. "He'll uh, he'll have to stay outside at your dad's."

"Hi G.I. Bar"- Roselyn began, but stopped herself quickly. "I'm allergic to you, and Jethro still lets you inside."

"Roselyn…" Gibbs treaded warningly.

"I'm just saying, if we let her in then we have to let him in. Fairs fair," Roselyn shrugged and climbed in the backseat with the dog.

"Be nice Roselyn," Gibbs instructed with an entertained glimmer in his eye.

"I thought you told me to be honest," Roselyn sighed, feigning exasperation. "Which is it?"

"Both"

"I'm not a very good multi-tasker. Just ask Senora Hernandez…" Roselyn trailed

"Now what did you do to that poor woman?" Gibbs turned and held her stare.

"Don't worry, you'll be getting a call from the school soon enough, I'm sure."

"Should I ground you now and save time?" Gibbs smirked.

"I went over this with Jenny this morning; grounding me is, in effect, hindering my right to Due Process."

"We've gotta stop letting you hang out in the legal department," Gibbs muttered with a roll of his eyes. "Our country is big on justice; your sentence will fit the crime."

"I want a full jury of my Spanish class peers at my trial, and adequate representation."

"Will DiNozzo do?" Gibbs asked in amusement.

"No, I'd at least like a shot at winning. Who's lined up for judge duties?"

"Ziva" Gibbs responded with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Great, I'll be sentenced to death before the trial even starts," Roselyn muttered. "That won't do; I want McGeek as my council and Abby as the presiding judge."

"Any specific reason?" Gibbs bit curiously into her demand.

"Because everyone knows when your council is boinking the judge you have the upperhand. You'd know all about boinking and attaining the upperhand, wouldn't you Colonel?" Roselyn smirked, averting her gaze to Hollis. 'Let's see how well you withstand pressure, G.I. Barbie,' Roselyn thought deviously.

"Come again?" Hollis choked on her own saliva, her cheeks burning a bright red.

"Well I mean since you and Jethro are clearly"-

"Roselyn!" Gibbs cut her off. "That's another three weeks added to your sentence!"

"It'll never stick," Roselyn shrugged her right shoulder and leaned back against the leather interior of the back seat. "You interrogated me without proper legal representation. I can't be held accountable for what was said during our interview," she added, her lips tugging in a smug smirk. Ah, the sweet taste of victory!


	4. Chapter Three

_A/N: So, I'd just like to thank all those who have commented or added my story to his/her story alerts. I'm truly glad you're all enjoying my story! _

A melodious chime filled the air of Gibbs' home (he'd finally fixed the doorbell) and Roselyn skidded to a stop in front of the door, tossing it open. "Hey Abby!" she beamed, and immediately prepped for her hug. Hugging was Abby's thing, and it hadn't taken Roselyn much time to catch on to that one.

"Hey Roselyn" Abby smiled and stepped in. "Sorry I'm late. My hearse got a flat tire. Again."

"That's okay," Roselyn chuckled. "Gibbs is down in the basement and G.I. Barbie is still struggling with dinner. Where's McGee?"

"Oh… she's cooking?" Abby's face fell slightly; it wasn't that she didn't *like* Hollis. But it wasn't that she *liked* her either. "And he's still trying to fix the tire. Cars aren't really his thing; but he can fix a computer better than anyone I know! Well, except for me of course."

"Of course," Roselyn smiled and then glanced up, spotting a new arrival in the room. Hollis stood against the doorframe of the kitchen, smiling. "Hello Abby, and yes, I'm cooking. I promise, I'm a good cook."

"…Heh…" Abby gave a fake smile and then glanced to Roselyn for help, who shrugged and headed towards the kitchen. A pungent odor filled the room and Roselyn crinkled her nose. Abby followed suit, save the nose crinkle, but tried her best not to inhale.

"I'm trying a new recipe," Hollis informed the two, showing them the dish she'd made for dinner. "It's supposed to be delicious!"

"Uh… no offense, but what is it?" Abby asked, looking up. Her dark eyes met Hollis' light ones, waiting for her response.

"I dunno…but I think it just moved," Roselyn blinked and took a cautious step backwards.

"What?" Hollis glanced down. "It's a seafood medley. That's fresh octopus."

Roselyn slowly leaned in, hovering over the plate to stare at it. Hesitantly, she eased her hand forward and took hold of the head of the octopus, lifting it. Tentacles suctioned to the plate, lifting it into the air as well. "Looks more like live bait, to me."

Hollis' eyes widened and she blushed. "Don't tell your dad, and we'll order pizza. Everyone up for Hawaiian?"

"Definitely. I wonder if they'll make the pineapple chunks look like a smile again," Abby mused.

"Huh?" Hollis turned and stared quizzically.

"They did it before. The pizza boy has a crush on me."

"Dark and twisted seem to be a turn on for men," Roselyn teased lightly. Her smile faded quickly as her stomach churned and her gut twisted. Her face paled and Roselyn bolted for the bathroom.

"Was it the pineapple chunks?" Abby frowned

"No, I don't think so," Hollis furrowed her eyebrows. She walked up to the bathroom door and tapped lightly, leaning into the crack of the door. "Roselyn? Are you alright?"

"I'm… fine…" Roselyn choked out between heaves of vomit.

"I'll get you some water…" Hollis pursed her lips together and retreated for the kitchen. She lightly traced her hand along Gibbs' arm as she passed by him.

"What's wrong?" He asked, glancing in her direction and then leaning forward to kiss Abby on the cheek. "Hey Abbs."

"We don't know, Roselyn just suddenly got sick." Abby's frown deepened and she followed behind Gibbs like a duckling does its mother, heading for the bathroom.

Gibbs rapped gently on the door with his knuckles. "Ros? You okay in there?"

"I'm fine," Roselyn flushed the toilet; the water and vomit swirled ferociously and then disappeared. She turned on the sink; cool water flowed gently into her hands and she used it to rinse her face, sipping it, gurgling it, and spitting it. She turned the faucet off, whirled around, and tossed the door open. "You can stop knocking now," she muttered. She'd been getting irritated much easier this past month. "Abby can we talk?"

"Well sure!" Abby was always happy to talk. She was always happy to listen. She was, the epitome of 'great friend'. She turned on her heel and followed Roselyn to her room. Roselyn opened the door and stepped in first, waiting for Abby to follow suit. The room had one pink two pink walls, two white walls, a pink plush chair, a desk, and a cozy bed with a white feather duvet. Abby glanced around; she'd never really liked the décor, but then again her own taste was unique—to put it nicely. Roselyn shut the door, and locked it. She sat on the bed, crossing her legs 'Indian Style', and averted her gaze away from Abby.

"What's wrong?" Abby could sense something was troubling the young girl. She tilted her head sideways, her face straight but somber.

Roselyn took a deep breath and then slowly locked eyes with Abby. "I think… I think I'm pregnant."

Abby's eyes widen and she jumped back in shock. "Pregnant? How are you going to tell Gibbs! And the Director?"

"I don't know… I don't know. I'm scared. What if they hate me?"

"Roselyn they could never hate you. They love you. You're their kid."

"They did so much for me already though. What if they think I took it all for granted? What if they feel like I betrayed them?"

Abby placed her hands firmly on Roselyn's shoulders now, and looked her square in the eye. "Roselyn, they love you. They will always love you no matter what." She pulled her into a hug and held her tightly, and then pulled apart. "So…who's the father?"

"Craig Newman," Roselyn whispered.

"You mean that kid that died in the motorcycle crash about a month and a half back?" Abby blinked.

"Yeah," Roselyn whispered softly.

"You're just full of surprises today, aren't you?"

"Kind of." Roselyn muttered.

"Well what are you going to do? Have you taken a test yet?"

"I don't know, and no, I haven't."

"You need to. Do you want me to, like, be there?" Abby asked. Her jet black, pin straight hair, fell forward as she leaned in for another hug.

"Would you?" Roselyn asked gratefully. Having Abby there for the test would be comforting, and the thought was a relief of the load off her shoulders.

"Of course!" Abby smiled with a gentle nod. "Whenever you're ready we'll take it. Or, well, you'll take it and I'll sit there and read the results with you. You know what I mean!"

Roselyn laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Thank you, Abby. This means so much to me."

"Its myyy pleasure!" Abby emphasized. "Come on, lets go see if dinner is here."

"And if G. I. Barbie trashed the bait," Roselyn mused with a roll of her eyes.

"That's so sad! I hope she put them back in the water!" Abby cried, but got up and walked out of the room.

Roselyn laughed and shook her head, following close behind Abby. She slid her hand down to her flat stomach with the silent knowledge that soon everyone's lives were about to change. Most especially her own.


	5. Chapter Four

_A/N: I really appreciate all the great feedback I've been getting. Thank you all so much __. Sorry for the short delay in this update; I was busy at work yesterday! _

The timer ticked slowly; three minutes seemed like three years or an eternity. Roselyn's hands shook violently as she waited for the test to finish. She paced anxiously across her room...back…forth… back again. For a second it was almost as if a faint trail of smoke was burning through the carpet where her footprints were wearing in. "Relax," Abby whispered gently. She padded the distance between herself and her friend and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "No matter what, it's all going to be alright."

"You can't be positive of that," Roselyn responded, her voice shaky at best.

"I *know* Gibbs; he is not going to stop loving you over this. He's a supportive guy, he's your father, no matter what."

"Adoptive," Roselyn points out.

"Doesn't matter to him; you're his kid, you're always going to be his kid. You're going to make plenty of mistakes in life—I sure have—and Gibbs has never stopped loving me any less. I'm his favorite. And ditto for the Director."

Roselyn smiled gently, took a deep breath, and nodded. "You're right, you are. I'm just being stupid."

"You're not stupid; you're scared. It's understandable." Abby smiled reassuringly, and reached out to pat her friend on the back. "You're shaking," she frowned, looking down at Roselyn.

"I'm scared," Roselyn admitted through a soft, croaked voice.

"We'll all be here for you no matter what happens and what you decide to do. I promise." Abby's promises were always kept; to the 'Happiest goth girl in the world' promises were not meant to be broken. The spunky, fiery woman was nothing if not loyal and devoted to the people around her.

"I know," Roselyn whispered with the knowledge that what Abby said was the truth and nothing but. Her head cocked sideways, her body tensed, at the faint sound of the ding of timer emanating from her bedroom's conjoined bathroom. She hesitated, her face flushed, and for a minute she thought her heart had stopped. Had it? She lifted her palm up to her chest; no, it was still beating, rapidly in fact. It took a few minutes, but she finally hoisted herself up and edged toward the bathroom. There it was; the slender white stick with the blue cap on it, still sitting on the white porcelain sink just waiting to be read.

Roselyn edged closer, her breath caught, heart still racing. Slowly, she lifted the test off the sink, and glanced down at the tiny reading window: 'Pregnant'. Plain as day, no room for mistakes. 'Pregnant.'

Her heart lurched, eyes welled with tears, and she dropped the test as if it were the plague. She turned her head slowly, and nodded at Abby; Abby hadn't had to ask aloud for confirmation—the look on Roselyn's face was confirmation enough.

The night had gone slowly for Roselyn; she laid up half the night in bed, sobbing softly, her thoughts racing. What was she going to do? What did she want to do? What were her options? She didn't know. She got nauseous when the sun peaked over the horizon, and spent the better half of the morning in the bathroom, her face down in the toilet. Thank god for toilet fresheners.

Hollis woke up around 8, and spent the better half of the morning calling Roselyn to breakfast.

'When I can stop puking, the little blonde woman is mine,' Roselyn thought bitterly. The woman, though only trying to be nice, was annoying. Seriously annoying, and Roselyn wished in that instant that she was home with Jenny. Jenny left her alone on the weekends; refrained from waking her up. And because NCIS never closed, Jenny always left breakfast on a plate in the microwave for her. That was how you dealt with teenagers; annoying them could be detrimental to one's health.

Again, Hollis knocked on the door, using her knuckles to amplify the sound of the knock. "Roselyn, breakfast is getting cold!"

"Go away!" Roselyn finally snapped. G.I. Barbie would not survive the morning if she kept it up.

"I just wanted to make sure you had breakfast before you went back to your mot"- Hollis called through the crack of the door but stopped when Roselyn flung the barrier open and growled.

"I'd rather eat at her place. My food tends not to move when she cooks it," Roselyn hissed.

"Play nice, Roselyn!" Gibbs called from down the hall. "And talk with respect!"

"Freedom of speech!" Roselyn called back and slammed the door in Hollis' face. She flipped the lock and went back to the bathroom. Another wave of nausea, another trip to the toilet. Jenny would be there soon, and she'd be temporarily saved.

When she was done tossing the contents of her stomach into the toilet, she straightened and leaned against the wall to catch her breath, and used the soles of her feet to flush the toilet. The air was musty and smelled putridly of vomit; Roselyn forced herself to her feet and walked into her bedroom, closing the bathroom door behind her. She curled up on her bed; the mattress was a comfortable change to her bathroom floor and toilet.

"Roselyn! Roselyn I need your laundry!"

"Go away!" Roselyn called angrily. "Please just go away!"

"I need your laundry," Hollis said, stepping into the room now. She glanced around the room and crinkled her nose. "Have you been throwing up again?" she asked, reaching for a few of Roselyn's shirts that were scattered on the floor, and a couple pairs of jeans.

Roselyn grabbed the clothes back and yanked them towards her. "I can do my own laundry. And no," she lied.

"It smells like you've just been throwing up…" Hollis pushed. G.I. Barbie just never knew when to let things go.

"I said no now gets out of my room!" Roselyn snapped.

"I'm only trying to help and you will not talk to me like th"- Again, cut off.

"I'll take it from here, Colonel Mann," A voice came from the backyard. Hollis turned to find Jenny standing there, and slowly nodded her head. "Fine," she muttered, stepping out of the room.

Jenny shut the bedroom door behind her and moved to sit down on the bed. "You have got to stop giving her such a hard time."

"In my defense, her dinner tried to eat me alive last night," Roselyn muttered and turned to face her.

"Well I'll agree she's not the best cook, but she is your elder and she is Gibbs' girlfriend, and she's been very nice to you. She deserves respect."

"The woman can't even make sure dinner is dead before she serves it. She annoys me to the end of the Earth and back. Besides, who respects Barbie these days?"

"Roselyn…" Jenny trailed warningly. "What has gotten into you lately?" she sighed, sweeping a few strands of loose hair from her daughter's face.

Roselyn swallowed hard and looked deep into Jenny's eyes, holding her stare. "We have to talk. And now."

Jenny shook her head just slightly. "You're scaring me…"

"It only gets worse. I promise."


End file.
